Photographic-plate holder



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A. MUTSGHLER & J. A. ROBERTSON.

PHOTOGRAPHIG PLATE HOLDER.

No; 587,991. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

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(ModeL) A. MUTSGHLER & J. A. ROBERTSON.

PHOTOGRAPHIG PLATE HOLDER.

No. 587,991. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT MUTSCI'ILER AND JOHN A. ROBERTSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEIV YORK.

PLATE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,991, dated August 10, 1897.

Application filed February 5, 1897. Serial No. 622,216. (Model) To a, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALBERT MUTSCHLER and JOHN A. ROBERTSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe, in the State of New York,

have invented an Improved Photographic- Plate Holder, of which the followingisa specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to an improved photographic-plate holder made entirely of sheet metal, whereby the dimensions of such articles are materially lessened and the durability increased. Our invention is fully described and illustrated in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, the novel features thereof being specified in the claims annexed to the said specification.

In the accompanying drawings, representing our improved plate-holder, Figure 1 is a front view. Fig. 2 is an end view as seen from the right hand of Fig. 1. Fig. is an end view as seen from the left hand of Fig. 1, the slide being omitted. Fig. t is a similar View with the slide in place. Fig. 5 is a rear view. Fig. 6 is a central section on the line 0 6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7, Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 8 represents an end view of a double plate-holder. Fig. 0 is an interior view of the back detached. Fig. 10 represents the swinging bar which excludes the light when the slide is withdrawn. Fig. 11 is a section of the same. Fig. 12 is an interior view of the front. 13 is a section on the line 13 13, Fig. 9. Fig. Ll represents a modified form of the light-tight joint between the sections.

Our improved sheet-metal platc holder consists principally of a front A, which is a frame having an opening through which the plate is exposed, and a back B, having a recess for the plate, the front and back sections being attached together by a suitable joint 45 adapted to exclude thelight, which joint may be made by turning a flange on one section over the edge of the other, as indicated at 0, Figs. 5, (3, and 7. Our improved plate-holder is provided with an exposing-slide 1.), arranged to be moved in a shallow recess formed by shoulders e c on the front, the structure being adapted to carry one plate only, al-

though it may be made double by securing two plate-holders together back to back, as indicated in Fig. 8. The flange by which the front and back are secured together is preferably formed on the front, (see 0, Figs. 5 and 12,) being bent over the edge of the back when the parts are assembled. Both the front and back are formed by suitable dies, and before being secured together the devices for holding the plate and for excluding the light through the slot or opening for the slide are attached to the back. The slide is drawn out to permit the removal or introduction of the plates, which are held at one end by the lug or lugs f and at the other end by a ledge g, having a spring 72., bearing on the edge of the plate. The front is provided with an exposing-aperture, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 12, which is closed by the slide D, except at the time of exposure.

The slide D moves in a slot i, Fig. 3, at one side between the front section and the back section, the edge of the front along the slot being preferably stiffened by bending the metal over on itself, as indicated atj, Figs. 1, 3, and (J. \Vhen stamped, the flange c on three sides of the front A stands out at right angles; but after the parts have been assembled together the flange is bent over the edges of the back, as indicated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, in any.

suitable manner or by any suitable die or machinery.

It will be understood that the flange may be formed on either of the sections, but we prefer the construction shown. At the time the front is stamped it is provided with a transverse recess on its rear side, which receives the light,-excluding shutter Z, Figs. 6, 1O, 11, and 12, and which forms the projecting rib 7t, Figs. 1 and (i, which engages with a corresponding groove on the camera employed with our improved plate-holder and serves to exclude light.

The rear section or back 13 is provided with a recess for the plate, with devices for holdin g the plate in place and with means for preventing the entrance of the light when the exposing-slide is withdrawn.

The construction of the back will be understood from Figs. 5, (i, 7, and 9. In Fig. (i the plate 1. is represented in position in the recess in the back. The edges of the recess are formed on three sides by the walls m and on the side where the slide enters the metal is turned over to form a groove (seen, Fig. ti) for the reception of the edge of the light-excluding shutter Z, which is pivoted in said groove. The plate-recess in the back is formed with the round or curved corners 0 7', Figs. 5 and 9, as it would be difiicult in practice to draw the recess with square corners, and the liability of cracking the metal would be excessive. The corners may be given any suitable curved or circular shape; but in order to make the size of the recess correspond as closely as possible with the dimensions of the plate we prefer to make the curved corners extend outwardly beyond the edges of the recess, as shown, the necessary flanges 011 the sections permitting such constructionwithout in creasing the m easurements of the holder. It will, however, be understood that the corners of the platerecess may be given any suitable shape, the object being to prevent the breaking of the metal when drawn or pressed in case corners too nearlysq u are were employed. A break in the metal, although almost imperceptible, would admit light and every plate used in such holder wouldbe foggedthat is, the holder would be worse than useless. The construction of the preferred form of corner will be understood from the accompanying drawings, a result arrived at by us after much practical experience in shaping the section with dies. The corners 7' at the side of the holder where the slide enters are of a somewhat modified form, as shown, and while the rounded corners at these points may be dispensed with we have found it preferable to use them.

It will be understood, of course, that any suitable devices may be employed to hold the plate in the recess in the back section, but in practice we have found the arrangements shown in the drawings to work satisfactorily. viz., the lug or lugsf on one end of the plate and the ledge g, provided with spring h, at the other end. "When the back section is struck up, there is formed on it the recess 1),

Figs. 2, 5, and (I, in which the lug or lugsf are subsequently soldered or riveted in such position as to project over in front of the plate, but behind the exposing-slide D. The arrangement will be readily understood from the drawings, but any other suitable method of attaching the lugs may be adopted. On the opposite end of the plate the ledge g is bent twice at right ai'igles and attached to the back in such position as to form a partition q, Figs. (3 and 9, in the recess between the plate and the light-excluding devices. The construction will be understood from Fig (5, the double-curved spring h, which acts against the edge of the plate and keeps its opposite end in engagement with the lug or lugsf, being shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 9, its ends being engaged in the curved corners r, by which it is held in place.

The manner of introducing or removing the plate will of course be understood by the skilled constructor. The edge of the plate being inserted under the ledge g, the spring It is compressed, and the opposite edge being then placed behind the lugsf the spring holds the plate in engagement therewith. The plate is removed by a reverse operation. The plate may be pressed forward against the ledge g and the lugs f by a spring attached to the interior of the back section, but we prefer to make one or more corrugations s in the body of the back inside the walls at, which hold the plate in the proper position. These corrugations project inward and bear on the back of the plate and press it forward, and they also serve to stiffen the back section. As already mentioned, the edge of the lightexcluding shutter Z is pivoted in the groove 11. on the edge ofthe back section, as indicated in Fig. (5. The shutter is pressed outward by the springs 15 t, Fig. 9, which are riveted at one end to the back, the same rivets serving also to hold the partition g, which hasa flange "0, Fig. 0, through which the rivets pass. The slide 1) is made of any suitable material, being provided with the head on, which is bent over and clamped on the projecting end of the slide. A spring-catch 10 serves to hold the slide in place in the holder, its inner end passing through a slot in the back and bearing against a spring a, as indicated in Figs. 9 and 13. The inner end of the catch it is T-headed, so that it cannot escape from the slot, and the spring it causes its outer end to swing so as to engage automatically with the head a; of the slide when inserted in the holder. When this construction is employed, the flange r of the partition q may, if necessary, be cemented to the back to exclude light. The shape of the light-excluding shutter will be understood from Figs. 10 and 11. The ends of the shutter project into the recesses formed by the curved corners 2', extending beyond the edge of the slide D, so as to perfectly exclude the light when the slide is out. The recess inside the projecting rib 7.; 011 the front also extends beyond the edges of the slide, and the shutter enters this recess when the slide is removed, being pressed forward by the springs t.

The projectingshoulders c, which extend all along three sides of the front of the holder, serve to stiffen the front, to form a recess for the slide behind the front, and to prevent the entrance of the light, being engaged in a corresponding rabbet on the rear of the camera.

In Fig. it we have represented one of the modified forms of the light-tightjointbetween the sections. In this case the flange on one of the sections is provided with a corrugation y, into which a corresponding corrugation on the other section projects. Then the flanges may be secured together by riveting, soldering, or other suitable means, or by the bent flange 0, already described.

In the case of the double plate-holder represented in end view in Fig. 8 it is formed by attaching together two of our improved plate holders, already described, back to back by soldering, riveting, or other suitable means.

We claim 1. The combination in a sheet-metal plate holder, of the sheet-metal front provided with the exposing-aperture and having projecting shoulders 6 around three sides forming a sliderecess behind the front and the rib is along the other side, the back section having the plate-recess stamped therein With outwardlyprojeeting rounded corners, the partition q extending across the recess, the exposing-slide and the light-excluding shutter located between the partition and the side of the recess, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a sheet-metal plateholder of the sheet-metal front provided with the exposing-aperture and having projecting shoulders 6 around three sides forming a sliderecess behind the front and the rib 7t along the other side, the back section having the plate-recess stamped therein With outwardlyprojecting rounded corners, the flanged partition q attached to the back across the recess, the lug f secured to the back in a depression at the side opposite the partition, thespring h under the flange of the partition, the lightexcluding shutter Z pivoted to the back, the spring t and the exposing-slide D, substantially as described.

ALBERT MUTSCHLER. JOHN A. ROBERTSON.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. SELDEN, G. S. DEY. 

